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| Guam Historic Resources Division | |
|---|---|
| Name | Guam Historic Resources Division |
| Formation | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Hagåtña, Guam |
| Region served | Guam |
| Parent organization | Guam Department of Parks and Recreation |
Guam Historic Resources Division The Guam Historic Resources Division is the territorial agency charged with identification, documentation, preservation, and interpretation of cultural, architectural, and archaeological resources on Guam, including sites tied to Chamorro heritage, Spanish colonial history, World War II battlefields, and American territorial development. It maintains historic registers, conducts surveys, issues permits for archaeological work, and collaborates with federal and local institutions to protect heritage amid development and environmental change.
The Division traces its origins to post‑World War II preservation efforts that intersected with initiatives by the National Park Service, the U.S. Navy, and the Government of Guam in the 1950s and 1960s, gaining formal structure during territorial reforms influenced by the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the establishment of the National Historic Preservation Act. Early efforts documented sites associated with the Spanish East Indies, the Treaty of Paris (1898), and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines and Guam (1941–1944). Key milestones include coordination with the National Register of Historic Places, responses to work by the Guam Museum, and partnerships following the passage of the Guam Organic Act of 1950. The Division’s evolution reflects interactions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and regional heritage bodies such as the Pacific Islands Museum Association.
The Division operates under territorial statutes and implements aspects of federal law including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 when applicable. Its statutory responsibilities include maintaining inventories similar to the National Register of Historic Places, issuing archaeological permits that align with standards from the Society for American Archaeology, and ensuring compliance with the Section 106 process overseen by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Division advises agencies such as the Guam Legislature, the Guam Department of Public Works, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and military commands like Joint Region Marianas on impacts to heritage. It also liaises with indigenous organizations such as the Chamorro Community Cultural Affairs Office and academic institutions including the University of Guam.
Programs administered include cultural resource surveys modeled after standards from the National Park Service, archaeological monitoring in consultation with the Office of Insular Affairs, and historic structure reports consistent with guidance from the Historic American Buildings Survey. Services encompass technical review for projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration, cultural landscape studies in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, outreach aligned with the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress, and educational programming that has collaborated with the Guam Public Library System and Guam Department of Education. The Division facilitates collections management practices compatible with the American Alliance of Museums and provides heritage tourism input for agencies like the Guam Visitors Bureau.
The Division has been involved in documenting and helping protect significant sites such as the Plaza de España (Hagåtña), the Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, and World War II locales like Asan Bay Overlook and the War in the Pacific National Historical Park. It has worked on rehabilitation projects at historic structures influenced by Spanish Colonial architecture and on archaeological stewardship of latte stone sites associated with Chamorro culture. Collaborative projects have connected with the National Park Service on the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, with the U.S. Navy at naval heritage sites, and with the Guam Historic Preservation Trust on adaptive reuse initiatives. The Division has also documented battlefield features related to the Battle of Guam (1944), coastal fortifications tied to the Spanish Empire, and plantation era remnants connected to Pacific trade routes.
Positioned within the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, the Division is led by a director supported by sections for archaeology, architecture, compliance, and public outreach. Its governance interacts with the Guam Historic Preservation Review Board and advisory panels that include representatives from the Office of the Governor of Guam, legal counsel referencing the Territorial Code of Guam, and liaisons to federal entities like the National Park Service Regional Office. Staffing often includes professionals with credentials recognized by the Register of Professional Archaeologists and practitioners trained through partnerships with the University of Guam Marine Laboratory and the University of Hawaiʻi system.
The Division maintains partnerships with local and regional institutions such as the Guam Museum, the Chamorro Land Trust Commission, the Council on Post Disasters Recovery, and civic organizations including the Guam Preservation Trust and Guam Preservation Society. It engages community groups like village councils in Hagåtña, Agana Heights, Umatac, and Inarajan to integrate traditional knowledge from Chamorro elders and to coordinate volunteer archaeology with service organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America (Guam Council). International collaborations have involved the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Historic Preservation Office and Pacific heritage networks coordinated through the Pacific Islands Forum.
Funding sources include territorial appropriations approved by the Guam Legislature, federal grants administered through the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund, and project-specific funds from agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Highway Administration. Legal authorities derive from the Territorial Code of Guam provisions on cultural resources, compliance obligations under the National Historic Preservation Act, and permit regimes clarified by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Division also administers compliance for undertakings involving Joint Region Marianas construction projects and coordinates mitigation measures negotiated pursuant to Section 106 agreements.
Category:Government of Guam Category:Historic preservation organizations Category:Historic sites in Guam